What We're Talking About Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Sunny Life and Death
Day and night, the sun is something most of us take for granted. But on Respectful Insolence, disciples stare at it intently in order to gain its energy. Orac writes "sun gazers seem to think that mammals are like plants in possessing an ability to absorb energy directly from the sun"—and diehard gurus claim to have lived for years without food or water. Earnest practitioners risk blindness, dehydration, starvation and death. Orac says "Sun gazing also leaves out the fact that plants get the organic building blocks they use to produce their actual structures from the ground in which they grow. Humans have no such capacity." As the sun grows to a red giant it will boil our oceans and strip off the atmosphere; later it "will die in a fiery, catastrophic explosion, one which will quite possibly obliterate our entire planet, and then eventually cease to shine at all." But as Ethan Siegel reveals on Starts With a Bang, there's a silver lining to that future planetary nebula. He says "everything that makes up you, me, and the entire planet—the tiniest parts of everything we've ever known—they were all made inside a star." Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, and solar system to solar system.
"Eat the Sun": Sun-worshiping fantasy versus reality
Respectful InsolenceApril 27, 2012
"The result was not what I would exactly call supportive of her claims. After 48 hours, she developed signs of acute dehydration, which Jasmuheen claimed to be the result of "polluted air." So the producers moved her to a nice, clean, mountainside retreat well away from the city, where the air was clean. It didn't help. As the test went on, Jasmuheen showed more and more signs of dangerous levels of dehydration, although she kept telling producers she "felt fine." Ultimately, the doctor charged with supervising Jasmuheen urged the producers to stop the test because he was concerned about kidney failure due to dehydration and warned that the experiment could prove fatal."
So, you've learned that the Sun is going to explode...
Starts With a Bang!April 20, 2012
"Being faced with not only our own mortality, but the demise of literally everything we've ever encountered throughout the entire history of our world is a philosophical and existential challenge for even well-adjusted adults. [...]
"So yes, the Sun will blow up, someday, but when it does, that's the greatest gift any star can ever hope to give to the Universe. After all, it took billions of stars giving that gift already in order to make you. And you know what?
"It was worth it."
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In Conversation
“Unlike the nearby 1909 new church of Maglarp, Örja isn't being torn down, possibly because of its greater age and venerability. It has been sold for 1 krona to a family who intends to make it their home.”
Channel Surfing
Life Science
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USA Science and Engineering Festival: The Blog
Tomorrow: Join us for the Woodstock of Science!
The excitement is filling the air at Sneak Peek Friday today as we are gearing up for an amazing weekend! The Festival takes place Saturday from 10-6 and Sunday from 10-4 at the Walter E Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Please visit our "Plan Your Day" section on our website for important information regarding attending this FREE event. Those attending the Festival will be in for quite a treat with over 3,000 hands-on science and engineering activities and over 150 stage shows!
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From NYTimes.com
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